My Antarctica21 expedition finally included being onboard Magellan Explorer.
However, as we were on the zodiac heading towards her, I noticed a Chilean patrol boat; a signal that there probably was some illegal fishing in the area. Reality.
The Magellan Explorer is what I would call a small, but mighty, ship that is well-designed as a short expedition vessel. There are only a few public areas: The beautiful Observation Lounge and Bar, a comfortable Library, a Lecture Room (not really used), the Restaurant, and the Mudroom. There is also a fairly well equipped Fitness Center and a small Sauna.
There is also a well-stocked Gift Shop filled with very reasonably priced expedition gear, most branded with Antarctia21, and some Helly Hansen parkas that are surprisingly very overpriced. (I have told so many lines that if you stock branded gear and things that the guests actually want, it will sell. This gift shop is always busy!)
Yup, that is it. But on a short expedition that is pretty much all you need or want.
Once onboard Magellan Explorer, I received a warm greeting and was escorted to my stateroom. It immediately became clear that the focus was on tuning out and being on expedition. While the theory is admirable, it did present some minor challenges for me as I was working.
My Single Veranda stateroom is compact, but not too small. There are a few unexpected but very much appreciated touches that greet you, including a box of very good Chilean chocolates, a quality pen and souvenir notepad, and a reusable folder with information and an A21 sticker.
Being that your expedition is a quick five days, the design overall works well, but a few tweaks would be nice. For example, the desk is quite small (the width of my laptop) but functional, though I wish there was a bit more room for me to lay out “stuff”. (The two drawers are small and shallow, so not great for storage.) The bed is comfortable and has a quality duvet. There is ample closet space, but the shelves are low, not very deep, and do not slide out, so access is quite limited. (OK for a short expedition, but not for a longer one when you would have more clothing and gear.)
Small night tables are provided, but an occasional table to place my camera, gloves, etc., when returning from an outing would be nice. Instead, I use the chair next to my window that is secured to the wall (as is most everything.) The only other seating is a small stool that slides under the desk.
The bathroom has very little space but is well-designed otherwise. I would recommend bringing your own amenities, as the dreaded combination shampoo/bodywash is provided and no conditioner.
The balcony is very narrow, and the door out to it is a proper marine door, as the room is fairly close to the water. Mine has a solid bulkhead forward, which works as an excellent windbreak and has allowed me to spend a bit more time outside and near the water.
Interestingly, there are no televisions in the staterooms. However, there is a significant dependence on the Antarctica21 app. The app functions through the complimentary internet. It is your “go-to” for the day’s activities, a live map of your journey, streaming video from the bridge and lectures, as well as a wide variety of movies. So, if you want a larger screen to watch a movie, I suggest you bring an iPad.
If you want to do much of anything other than use the app or receive texts and basic email, you have to upgrade to the Premium package (20 GB for $35) and then, using Starlink, it is quite good. You need to purchase the package for each device, as once you log on, the package is solely for that device.
Interestingly, as the Antarctica app only works when you are on the complimentary internet, you need to toggle between the two; a minor hassle but it makes multitasking a bit of a challenge.
But as you know, when on an expedition, your room and the internet are not really where you want to be when onboard.
We immediately set sail, crossing the Bransfield Strait, and had an orientation followed by the muster drill, and later a Captain’s welcome in the Observation Lounge. Interestingly, there is no hi-tech main video, but rather an old-fashioned screen. As the ship is small, if there was a large screen where the presentations are given, it would block the views forward when not in use. In short, though imperfect, it works. There are flat-screen televisions in a few locations for higher resolution viewing, though you can’t see the presenters. (Live streams onto the app are good quality.)
There is simultaneous Chinese translation using audio sets, so there is a flow for both English and Chinese-speaking guests.
In the morning, after a diverse Western and Chinese buffet breakfast, we arrived at Graham Passage; a new destination for me. It was a spectacular morning with blue skies, no wind, and amazing ice everywhere. Just as we boarded our zodiac, with our very enthusiastic and knowledgeable guide + a new guide in training for Antarctica21, a huge portion of an iceberg fell off, causing the iceberg to roll dramatically. WOW!
Moments later, a humpback and her calf were seen with mom lazing, and the calf, having discovered how to spy hop – a fairly rare thing to see – did it over and over again…with that dramatic ice behind it. We could have watched them for hours. Another WOW!
After seeing three more humpbacks (ho-hum), and an interesting aside about the north face of mountains, a call came from another zodiac that a leopard seal was spotted. While one couldn’t get a great photo because it was soundly sleeping, as different angles were respectfully attempted, a Minke whale decided to visit…right next to our zodiac. Another WOW.
After an 11 out of 10 morning, it was time for lunch and some work, before our arrival at Orne Harbour. This was announced as the only landing on the Antarctic continent itself. For me that meant a number of my favorite landing sites were not going to happen. Orne Harbour is not one of my favorites, as it entails a steep hike up the snow to see a chinstrap penguin colony in the distance. However, for those who didn’t want to hike, Antarctica21 offered the ability to land, take a photo with a flag noting the landing, and then a zodiac cruise.
As I had been on that hike previously and knew many would go very slow, turn around, slide coming down, etc. it would be more an exercise of frustration, then add in that the weather had turned windy, cold, and a bit of snow, I opted for the zodiac ride. Guess what? I saw plenty of Chinstrap penguins as well as a few Gentoo.
At the Recap and Briefing it was casually mentioned that we would enter the Lemaire Channel at 6:45 a.m., but nothing more. I – of course, I did – interrupted and said that everyone really needed to be up, as it would be a highlight of the expedition. All I had to do was show them my photo of a sunset I took there, and there was buy-in.
Because this is such a short expedition, most of the guests do not go to the lounge after dinner as they are tired and still recovering from the go-go-go of a short expedition. Regardless, there was an informal bar talk by one of the expedition team about her time living at Port Lockroy. It was quite entertaining and a perfect bit of evening entertainment. It is too bad most missed it.
The morning brought us to Lemaire Channel, with fairly calm winds, moderate temperatures, and a high fog, which gave it a feeling of a bit of mystery while also providing wonderful views and mirror images on the water. Equally enjoyable was the guests’ enthusiasm.
And then Plan B came into effect. Due to too much ice and lowering fog, navigation became difficult, and our planned landing on Winter Island was canceled. And then our zodiac cruise at Flandres Bay was canceled. Ugh.
But the Magellan Explorer’s expedition team got creative! A late afternoon zodiac ride at Stony Point, Paradise Bay.
After that was an excellent deck barbecue; though I am not a fan of the blasting dance music that to me seems so out of place. But everyone else loved it.
And then: MAGIC! Somehow the team arranged for a quick evening landing at my favorite place in Antarctica: Neko Harbour.
As I had been there earlier this season and it was perfect, I didn’t want to have a rushed experience sully it.
So I decided to sit on the aft deck of Magellan Explorer and just take in the views and watch the humpback whales feed. That was right up until I heard the whales singing! It was one of those moments that I will forever remember.
As we set sail out of Neko Harbour, I sat with a glass of whisky over glacial ice.
Next up: With a storm a brewin’, I don’t have a clue!
